This invention relates generally to toy vehicles, and more particularly to a motorless toy vehicle propelled by the track on which it operates.
It is well known to propel motorless toy vehicles along a path or track either manually or with the assistance of gravity. However, prior art also discloses certain U.S. patents which generally provide means for propelling toy vehicles along a track.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,334 to Beny discloses a toy vehicle and track section for moving the toy vehicle up an incline. This device includes a centrally disposed vehicle propelling member 18 which is made to rapidly oscillate by a motor wherein upwardly projecting flexible projections interengage the bottom portion of the toy vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,153 to Aoki relates to a track vehicle which is driven by an internal motor and held in position upon the track by guide wheels allowing the toy vehicle to run on inverted track sections.
The U.S. Patent to Frank, U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,730 discloses a toy train driven by an internal motor operable on a track having perforated rails which are engaged by a motor driven toothed gear for propelling the train.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,962 to Axryd discloses a toy moveable along a predetermined track made moveable along the track by the manual axial reciprocation of an elongated coil spring embedded within the track which acts upon a pivotally connected arm 5 to propel the toy.
An early U.S. Patent to Agor, U.S. Pat. No. 661,926 is directed to a toy trolley affixed onto an endless rack and drivable therealong by manual rotation of a drive gear which acts upon the endless toothed rack.
Sansome, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,577, discloses a toy vehicle driven by an internal motor along a track having structure for holding the vehicle on the track.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,130 to Usami, the inventor there discloses an amusement device which includes an object moveable along a fixed track having an automatic turnaround section at each end of the track.
Because applicant's invention is related to the various ratchet means for controlling the one-way direction of rotation of a drive gear, reference is made to the following U.S. Patents which generally disclose devices of such function, although not similar to the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 24,883 to Herr PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 296,168 to Higley PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,276,168 to Buchholz PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,368,066 to Starr PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,515,174 to Abrams PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,203 to Drury.
The present invention provides a motorless toy vehicle which is propellable in either direction along a track having a moveable rack slideably disposed therein. The rack reciprocates manually back and forth within the track and engages and acts upon a gear drive and preselectable ratchet means.